Mini Analysis: Apollo – Flight Facilities (Character)

Work: ‘Apollo’
Composers/Creators: Hugo Gruzman & James Lyell
Performers: Flight Facilities, Katie Noonan & the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Album: Live With the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (Future Classic, 2015)

Listen to this excerpt and consider some words to describe the character and mood.

Need some ideas? See pages 140 & 141 in Decoding Sound.

Press “PLAY” on the video to hear the excerpt.

Though you might have something different (which is okay!), the character words I chose were:

• serene
• blissful
• majestic

Now that you’ve settled on some words to describe the character, listen again and note what you can hear happening.

We suggest focusing on one or two elements, such as texture, tone colour, articulation or melodic contour.

Press “PLAY” on the video to hear the excerpt.

Next time you’re listening to a piece of music, make step one = character and mood, but then, one element at a time, explore what it is that creates that feeling for you.